Photomicrographic camera



April 17, 1928. 1,666,499

F. F. LUCAS PHOTOMICROGRAPHIC CAMERA Original Filed Nov. 22, 1921 i i"fm "la l /7 I Z9 Patented Apr, 17, 1928 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.y

FRANCIS F. LUCAS, F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PHOTOMICROGRAPHIC CAMERA.

This invention relates to an observing and photographic appliance for aphot-omicrographic camera.

An object of thi; invention is to provide a photomicrographic camera forattachment to the draw tube of a microscope; consisting of a clampingmember; preferably a shutter; an extension tube; a light-tight containercapable of holding for expcsurea sensitized roll iilm or interchangeablya sensitized roll film and a sensitized plate,`said light-tightcontainer being interchangeable with a ground glass or equivalentscreencontaining member fitted with a light shield enabling observationand focusing of the image without the use of a focusing cloth.

A further object of this invention is to provide a` photomicrographiccamera of simple construction and of light weight so that it may besupported by the draw tubes of common forms of microscopes withoutcausing the focus of the optical system to change after adjustment oncehas been made.

, A further object of the invention is to provide a photomicrographiccamera supported by the draw tube of a microscope in such manner thatmechanically it becomes an integral part of the microscope and ywherebyextraneous vibration results in vibrating both the photomicrographicattachment and the microscope as a unit.

A further object of this invention is to provide au observing appliancewhich may be rigidly attached to the draw tube of a microscope, or toother optical instruments, said appliance to consist of a clampingmember; preferably a shutter; an extension tube and a ground glass orequivalent screen containing member iitted with a light shield such thata projected image from the microscope, or equivalent, may be viewed byone or more persons in a normal and natural manner and without the aidof a focusing cloth. Such arrangement enables the microscope andobserving appliance to be assembled and to be used in a room havingabout the usual or average intensity of illumination.

A further feature of this invention is to provide a photomicrographiccamera capable of rigid attachment to the draw tubes of common forms ofmicroscopes such that the longitudinal arrangement of the parts becomedefinitelyfixed thus enabling successively focused objects lto bephotographed Divided and this application led Serial No. 683,289.

on a sensitized roll film or a sensitized plate under definitelycomparable conditions without adjustment of the parts of the cameraproper. Said objects may be photographed at the same setting of themicroscope and photomicrographic camera or at intervals of time asdesired, notwithstanding that the microscope and photomicrographiccamera may have been dismanteled in the meantime and later reassembled.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fullyunderstood from the following detail decription and the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a microscopeprovided with my invention, the parts being shown at the stage of takingthe exposure;

Fig. 2 is a front perspective elevation of the mounting tubes for thefocusing ground glass; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are comparative front elevations respectively of thefocusing ground glass mounted on the shutter tube and of the container'mounted on the shutter tubes; Fig. 3 is broken away to show the assemblyof the ground glass disk and the parts of its tubes, whereas Fig. 4 isbroken away in central vertical elevation through the lighttightcontainer and also through the shutter and through the parts forsupporting and attaching my improved photomicrographic device to themicroscope proper.

Referring to Fig. l, I have illustrated an approved type of microscope1-, including the adjustable stage 2 on which the specimen 3 to bephotographed is supported, and further comprising the body tube 4,provided with suitable. means for attachment of the objective 5 andthe'draw tube 6 telescoping with the body tube 4.

Pursuant to my invention, I provide, as appears in assembly in Figs. land 4, a clamping'ring 7 to be received on the terminal portion of thedraw tube 6, and in which ring 7 is placed the Simple eye-piece or acompensating eye-piece 9, as is indicated in Fig. 4. Such clamping ring7 comprises the annular portion 10 Which is internally threaded at 11,see Fig. 4, and also radially slitted extension 12 having' the clampingscrew 13.

Whena simpleeye-piece is em loyed, the external threading of the short.ower tube 14 of theshutter, is brought into mesh with lili) fl il theinternal threading 11 ot the elaniping ring and I provide thepositioning ringl 15, see Fig. il, igor engagement directly' with themetal casing oi" the eye-piece 8. Such positioning ring is eizternffillythreaded to mesh with the internal threading of the lower tube length 1dof the shutter, and is lianged at 16 to ent-end laterally to abut thelower edge shutter tube 111-,

Accordingly, upon placing the eye-piece 8 within the ring 10 andthereupon securing the lower tube length 1d ot the shutter within thering 10 until the ring 10 abuts tightly against the shutter 2O shown at11a', the ring 10 with the shutter 2O attached thereto and enclosing the.eye-piece 8, is located on the draw tube 6 by allowing the clampingring, 12, to slide downwardly on the dra-w tube, 6, of the microscope,until the head oi the microscope draw tube 6 abuts the flanged extensionof the casing oi the eye-piece, and until the positioning ring 15, restsupon the top or the eye-piece in the position el ly shown at 15a,whereupon the clam screw, 13, ot" the clamping ring 10, t' cned. Thisadjustment ot the parts'insures that the eye-piece assumes its normalposition with reference to the microscope draw tube 6 and it alsoinsures that my improved observing or photographic appliance will assumea definite and exact position longitudinally with reference to a givencombination of parts such as the draw tube, 6, and eye-piece. Moreover,it will be clearly seen that the parts may be dismantled and reassembledwhereupon the saine exact longitudinal arrangement oi the parts willresult.

While l have shown the use of an eye* piece, the eye-piece may beomitted it desired whereupon the positioning ring, 15, comes to restupon the head of the microscope draw tube, 6, instead ot upon the top ofthe eye/piece as shown at 15.

lWhen it is desired to use certain forms oit eyepieces such that theupper lens ot the eye-piece is designed to protect materially above thehead ot the microscope draw tube, a type of vhich is indicated at 9, acompensating ring 17 oiI suitable dimensions is employed, as isindicated in Fig. e, such compensating ring- 17 being internallythreaded at its upper portion to mesh with the ei;- ternal threading ofthe tube length 1/1; of the shutter; the ring 17 -is exterpally threadedto mesh with theinternal threading 11 01"' the clamping ring 10.

It will be understood that all various types of eye-piecesiormicroscopes may be employed if desired and the compensating ringselected oi an ellective length corresponding to the extent ofprojection of the eye-piece Aabove the end ot the draw tube of themicroscope.

The shutter indicated at 20 is of any approved type and may be providedwith a .microscope short upper tube 21, as is indicated in Fig. 1 andenlarged in lFigs. 3 and l, or may be provided with the long upper tube22. Usually such short length tube 21 tor commercial forms ofmicroscopes and with a commonly used type of shutter, is ot the lengthot three inches and the long tube 22 Ywith a commonly used type otshutter, is ot the length oi eight inches, providing` respectively iforinagnilication in the proportion ot one to two, the images respectivelybeing formed at distances ot iive and ten inches trom the eyepiece. rlheabsolute magnification, as will be understood by those skilled in theart, is determined by the optical constants et the ln carrying out myinvention, l prefer the use of a iocusing ground glass and mounting tubetherefor, as is indicated in external appearance in 2. Such ground glassunit comprises the lower tube section having the lowermost end portionrcduced to be rceeivedivithin the tube length 21 (or 22) ot the shutterand to be held thereon. The ground glass disk is suitably held betweenthe lower tube section 23 and the upper tube section 26, as by providingthe expanded annular portion 27, recessed annularly inwardly to receivethe ground glass disk 25 and provided at its lower end with thethreading 28 meshing with the threading 29 at t-he upper end ot' thelower tube section 23.`

The effective upward extension et the tube length 26 is such that theimage displayed on the ground glass 25 is not naturally at'- tected byindirect sunlight or by light from any other external source enteringthe tube length 26y l have found that a tube-len h o'f about one andone-halt inches for ordinary types of microscopes, has given excellentresults. Such arrangement provi es 'lor viewing the image and fortocusing without the use of a focusing cloth. rllhe arrangement has alsothe advantage ot allowing the observer to use both eyes in the naturalnanner and in normal position. llru'thermore, the arrangement has theparticular adrantage oitF allowing any number of' persons to view theimage at the same time, so that details et structure or othercharacteristics ot' the specimen under examination may be clearly seenby a number oi persons at the same time. ln Fig. 3 l have indicated theground glass and its associated tube lengths mounted on the shutter tubewhich in turn is mounted on the microscope, as is more fully indicatedin Fig. 1, in which instance the image of the specimen 3 is readily anddefinitely viewed with both eyes or" the observer or may be viewed bytwo or more persons at the same time. It will be understood that theshutter in such circumstance has been moved to its open position.

After the proper image has been had by lll) observation through theground glass 25, the container 30, loaded either with a sensitized filmor a plate, is then positioned in replacement of the ground glass andits mounting tubes 23, 26, irstly by closing the shutter, and removingthe ground glass unit and then placing the container on the end of theshutter tube 21 (or 22 and thereafter opening as yshown in Fig. theslides 39 of the container 30.

The shutter 19 is then operated by means of its release 20a, see Fig. 1,and the exposure thus carried out. The slide 39 is then closed, and thefilm wound forward for the next exposure. In the event that the exposureis made on a sensitized plate, the container is taken into a dark-roomor equivalent. for

- removal of the exposed plate and reloading of a fresh plate.

This application is a division of my original application Serial No. 517,017 filed by me on November 22nd, 1921, now matured as U. S. Patent No.1.537.539,y dated May 12th` 1925, wherein is described and claimed theholder for the sensitized film or plate and the associated parts toprovide for the self-positioning of the sensitized medium, for holdingthe portion of the film taut and associated parts. My copendingapplication Serial No. 683,290, also 'a division of my aforesaidoriginal application Serial No. 517,017, is directed to the method ofphotography, set forth in my aforesaid original application.

Whereas I have described my invent-ion by reference to specific formsthereof it will be understood that many changes and modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a photographic device, a uniplanar .element ofv ground glass,means for arranging said ground glass element in light-tight relationwith a suitable optical image-forming device and means for excludinglight foreign to the rays forming the image, said excluding meansincluding a tube extending from said ground glass element toward theobserver permanently secured to said ground glass element.

2. In a photographic device, a uniplanar element of ground glass, meansdisposed anteriorly of said ground glass element for arranging saidground glass element in light-tight relation with a suitable opticalimage-forming device and means disposed posteriorly of said ground glasselement for excluding light foreign to the rays forming the image, saidexcluding means including a hollow member permanently secured to saidground glass element, ysaid hollow member being open at the end adjacentthe position of observation by the observer.

3. In a photographic device, a uniplanar element of ground glass, meansfor arranging said ground glass element in light-tight relation with asuitable optical image-forming device, said means comprising a tubehaving its end adjacent the position of said ground glass elementprovided with threading, and tubular means disposed posteriorly y ofsaid ground glass element for excluding light foreign to the raysforming the image, said tubular means having threading at its one endmeshing with the aforesaid threading, the opposite end of said tubularmeans being open.

1. In a photographic device including tubular means for receiving at itsone end in a holder for a sensitized medium, unitary means for disposinga ground glass element in light-tight relation with said tubular meansand for excluding light foreign te the rays forming the image, saidunitary means comprising a tube arranged at its one end to engage saidone end of said tubular means and further comprising a tubular elementextending` in a direction from said ground glass element opposite fromsaid tubular means, the free` ends of said tubular element being open.

5. In a photographic device including tubular means for receiving at itsone end in a holder for a sensitized medium, unitary means for disposinga ground glass element in light-tight relation with .said tubular meansand for excluding light foreign to the rays forming the image, saidunitary means comprising a tube having its one end in telescopingrelation with said one end of said tubular means and further comprisinga tubular element extending in a. direction from said ground glasselement opposite from said tubular means, the free ends of said tubularelement being open.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification this 18th day ofDecember, 1923.

FRANCIS F LUCAS.

